Beautiful and Sacred
by Kelly Melly
Summary: A new take on the scene in Kennedy's store after Rhett gets out of jail. Book-based. Two-shot.
1. Chapter 1

Hey it's me again. This is another one shot I have written.

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: If I owned GWTW, I would have put this in the book, right:)

This was too much. She couldn't take it. He did love her, and she wasn't going to stand here any longer and let Rhett ruin that one pure knowledge that she had in this cruel and hateful world. Ashley. Her sweet Ashley! Of course he loved her!

She turned on him, her eyes piercing and greener than usual. She released the words that instantly came to her mind and lips, and felt no shame for the emotion that was carried in them. She wouldn't let him desecrate what she and Ashley had, even if it meant Rhett Butler getting the upper hand and laughing at her in the face.

"How dare you pry with dirty fingers into the only beautiful and sacred thing in my life? You can't see that he loves me because you haven't a clue as to what love is! You judge everyone's mind but your own vile one!" She was crying. She could feel the tears on her cheeks, but she was too angry to care. Why was he trying to make her think that Ashley didn't want her or love her? Why was he trying to break her? Trying to make her believe that everything she holds dear is a lie?

Rhett smirked and she just knew that he was going to laugh, but he didn't. If she had been looking at his eyes, she would have seen the pity, understanding and pain that passed through them at her words. He spoke softly with less mockery but the cynicism hadn't left his voice.

"My dear, what you and Mr. Wilkes have is neither beautiful nor sacred." Scarlett's rage was greater now than before, as was her frustration and all she wanted to do was to scream at him and kick him and yell over and over that what he said was not true. But she didn't and he continued.

"And you can wish and hope that he loves you for your mind, but here are the facts." He leaned over her, his eyes piercing and bright. He spoke softly with real emotion. Her breathing slowed slightly at the look in his eyes, but she still gazed at him hard. "He doesn't even know you have a mind, Scarlett. You and Ashley are so different that he looks at you, but he can't see any deeper into your soul than person can see into a pond full of mucky water."

At his last words she hardened again and reached up and slapped him across the face, her tears running down her cheeks at a quicker pace. That wasn't true and she knew that it wasn't true. It couldn't be. No, it couldn't be…

Rhett ran his hand across his cheek, a smirk decorating his face. Scarlett's emotions ran away from her again. She would show Rhett Butler that she and Ashley really loved each other. She would tell him. Everything.

Scarlett stood. Her movements quick and haphazard from her normally ladylike poise. She was shaking with emotion and was fighting to keep the quaking at bay. But it showed in her voice as she spoke, as did her tears. She almost screamed as she spoke to him. Her eyes were traveling around the room crazily, and her heart was racing in her chest. She would show him. She must show him. He had to be wrong this once.

"Ashley loves me! He does! He told me! If it weren't for Melanie…if it weren't for her… And I love him! Oh, I know I said I didn't but I lied! And there is no way of explaining something like it to someone like you! Something that is so pure and sweet…" Her last words faded out to nothing and ended in a tiny squeak. But as soon as she stopped speaking, she spoke again with renewed vigor.

"Ashley told me loved me. He came home from the war and told me he loved me. And you want to know what else, Rhett?" She looked at him with mad triumph in her eyes. "He kissed me! He kissed me in a way I have never been kissed…" She broke off in embarrassment at having revealed so much about the kiss, but started again without bothering to blush. "And he almost did take me! Right there in the orchard. And I would have let him! I would have gladly let him! Gladly…" Something in his eyes made her stop, something that she couldn't describe.

They were bright and alive. They were like an ocean newly thwarted as soon as a storm strikes. Like the embers of a fire, suppressed by the ashes but then brought to sudden and reckless life. His eyes had always been dark but they seemed to turn an unworldly black, making everything else in the room appear a blurred gray in comparison to the striking darkness.

And she was suddenly afraid. For what unknown reason? She didn't know. But the piercing darkness…the frightening black depths. They called to her an emotion that she was too young to comprehend. To inexperience in the world to understand. And she was sure she didn't want to understand.

But in the face of fear, she had always straightened to her highest and fought with all she had. He probably wanted to scare her. And it was working. But he would have to do more than give her threatening looks to make her back down. She would not let down. Especially because of Ashley. More than anything, because of Ashley. She spoke again, the hardness still in her eyes but her voice softer with more earnest and conviction.

"Ashley loves me. And he always has, and he always will. And I will love him until he tells me that he doesn't want me. But he does. And you can laugh at him and at me for all I care. I still have Ashley and his love, long after your laughter has subsided." She looked him straight in the eye. He was still staring at her with that dark, queer look in his eyes. When he spoke his voice was calm, the antithesis of his raging eyes.

"When did this said love begin, Scarlett?" He was leaning forward now, leaning his forearms on his knees.

Scarlett was completely taken back by his question, and took a moment before answering. She gazed out of the window at nothing in particular. "As soon as I saw him again after his tour of Europe." She smiled in sweet remembrance. "He rode up to the house and as soon as I saw him, I knew that I loved him. He came up the steps and told me that I had turned in a lovely young lady and kissed my hand." Looked down at her hand now, rubbing her fingers across the top as if she could still feel the imprint his lips had left there.

She didn't look at Rhett, but if she had she would have seen the change in his eyes. Suddenly they were dead and lifeless. Empty. Without anger. Without happiness. Without hope. Without any sort of emotion. At her declaration of her immediate love of Ashley, he winced as if he had been physically wounded. His face was contorted and writhed with pain.

"So, you loved him from then on?" He spoke clearly, never revealing his agonizing emotions.

She turned to him now. "Of course. Isn't that what I just said?"

"And when did Mr. Wilkes reveal to you his recuperate of these feelings you both have so willingly shouldered in the light of…circumstances." The mockery was back in his voice, but it was laced with malice and bitterness. Touched with more cynicism than was usually present. But there was a small flicker of light in his eyes again.

"Well…" Scarlett thought frantically. "I don't exactly know. I don't remember when the first time was that he told me he loved me."

Rhett laughed outright at this, the light that had lit his eyes now burning brighter. "You don't remember? How inconsiderate of you, my dear? To forget when the love of your life first poured out his heart to you. And how negligent your memory must truly be to have forgotten so monumental a moment in your short life."

She bristled at this and said, "I haven't forgotten and my memory isn't negli…whatever you said. I just…it was just a long time ago, that's all." She was getting nervous again and she was unsure as to why.

Rhett's eyes were now bright with amusement and…was that something akin to hope lingering within the depths? "My dear, I will tell you why you can't remember because it never happened." She started to speak, but he put his hand up to stop her and continued. "Oh, I know. I am sure that at some point in time he has made some clumsy declaration to you amidst one of your bewitching tirades. Did you beg, Scarlett?"

Her eyes were set and she stared straight ahead of her, never moving and seeming not to hear anything he said. But he knew she did. For at his question, a blush crept up her neck. "Ah! So you did beg. My dear, any man in his situation would have done the same. Espacially a man of honor. Think of it! There you are, your green eyes pleading, sucking the control right out of the man. Of course he is going to tell you what you want to hear, just to get you to stop looking at him with that need and longing." He smiled. "How do I know this? Because I know Ashley. I know his type. He refused to give into what he wanted, so he gave you what you wanted so that you would take the temptation away." He leaned over her and spoke softly with much emotion. "All men have a breaking point, my dear. Even the most gentlemanly men." He rose and looked down at her with a smirk on his face. "Our honorable gentleman was on the verge of his breaking point, and knew he had to escape from you. Anyway he could."

Scarlett was still looking straight ahead of her, but her eyes were now opened wide with shock and unbelief. In her mind and heart, her logic was fighting what she was refusing to let go of. Ashley did love her! Rhett was wrong! He had to! If he didn't…if he didn't…

"I see you still refuse to believe it." Rhett spoke smoothly. He sat down again, and leaned back in the chair. "Well, then answer me this one question and then tell me with no doubt in your mind that he loves you, and I will forever be silenced on the sublect." He leaned towards her, his lips close to her ear when he spoke, so softly and eagerly. "Then why did he let you come to Atlanta? Why did he let you come to me with your propositions and portieres? Before I let a woman I loved do that…" He was now on his feet again, his hand in his hair.

Scarlett quickly came to his defenses. "But he didn't know. He didn't…"

"Did it ever occur to you that he should have known? Should have known what you would do when you were desperate. He should have killed you rather than let you come here."

She looked at him, and then looked down again. Was Ashley a mind reader? She didn't tell him or anyone else! He couldn't have known. "But he didn't know…" She spoke quietly, more to herself than him. But he answered, nevertheless.

"If he didn't guess it than he will never no anything about you or your precious mind." Rhett looked down at her urgently. He wanted her to see so badly what was so obvious.

Scarlett's heart once again was fighting her logic, but it was a losing battle. She couldn't deceive herself, and say that what was now so clearly set before her was a lie. Realization flooded her eyes with tears and she silently started to cry.

He was right. Oh how she hated to admit it! She couldn't even think the words. But she knew. She couldn't make herself say 'Ashley doesn't love me' even in her mind, but it was true. And she knew that Rhett could see she knew. She supposed that he would laugh at her now and tell her that she was a fool.

But he surprised her, as he always did.

He sat down next to her, and gathered her to himself. Her face was buried in his chest and she finally cried as she hadn't in years. Cried because Ashley, her Ashley, didn't love her. Cried because she had been a fool. Cried because Rhett knew it. His arms were tight around her, and he was murmuring softly, things she didn't comprehend. She melted against him and couldn't help but feel an unearthly comfort in his arms. This made her cry harder.

"I've been such a-fool." She said in between her sobs. She buried her face deeper into his chest.

"No," Rhett said softly. "No, darling." He kissed the top of her head tenderly. "You were just in love."


	2. Chapter 2

So...I have a thing with making my one-shots two shots...and three-shots...and so on. But this is truly the last chapter for this one and the only reason I wrote it is because it is a songfic(the recent one posted inspired me :) and it just happened to got along with this storyline. So I said, "What the hay!" and wrote it!

You all are probably wondering what has happened to my other stories. Rain is still in progress, I know where I am going with it but sometimes it is just hard to get it on paper. And Sur le Mariage...well...let's just say I am at a dead end with that one and I don't know how to turn her around(suggestions are always appreciated :)So, there it is. I am in a rut with them both. I need to learn to write the whole thing or at leat most of it before I post, but I am still young at this. But writing this fic has helped alot.

I wrote this because I have always thought that the song "Everthing I Do" by Bryan Adams was the perfect song to describe Rhett's feelings for Scarlett. Some of you might think that Rhett is OOC but I would like to quote a passage from the book in which Rhett says, "And I loved you so Scarlett. If you would have only let me, I could have loved you as gently and as tenderly as ever a man loved a woman." So really, I think that this characterization I have given him in this is more of a side to Rhett that we never got to see. Some of you might disagree. And that is cool. I just wanted you to know my reasoning in this.

Now without further ado...

Disclaimer: I don't own GWTW or the song "Everything I Do" by Bryan Adams. This is purely for fun.

* * *

She felt a hand fondling her hair with an unearthly gentleness. She was dead to the world around her, except for that hand softly grazing her head. It was, in fact, the only thing that let her know that she was indeed still alive. But it also reminded her that she was awake as well. Therefore, all the truths set before her were reality.

Ashley really didn't love her.

She felt a new assault of sobs come over her and she pinned her face heavily into Rhett's neck. This only caused his arms to tighten around her and at this she spoke the words that were now plaguing her mind.

"How…," She sobbed again. "…how…what will I do now?" She spoke, her words broken by her tears.

Rhett again started to stroke her hair. "Darling…", he leaned down, his cheek rested on the top of her head, "there is always…someone else." His voice was raspy at his last words and they were spoken with longing and an impossible eagerness. She started to look up at him at the same time that he took her face in his hands to made her look at him.

"Always," he whispered. He gazed deeply into her eyes, and for the first time Scarlett knew what he was thinking. She knew what lie behind those dark, forbidden depths. And everything was clear.

_Look into my eyes - you will see_

_What you mean to me_

She remembered with great clarity every time that she had suspected; every time that she had thought, even if just for a moment, that it could be true.

_Search your heart - search your soul_

_And when you find me there you'll search no more_

"Scarlett…" he spoke with more seriousness than she had ever heard him speak with before. "…oh darling…" he threw his head to the side in frustration, "…for so long I have wanted to tell you. But I am such a fool. Such a coward."

He looked down for a moment then looked at her again. Her head was down-turned but the shock was still evident in her face. He lifted her chin until she was face to face with him.

"But not anymore. I don't care what it costs me now. You can laugh, or you can be angry and tell me you never want to see me again. You can even try to use it against me. But I won't lie to you anymore. I can't. There is too much to lose." He stood to his feet, turned from her to look out one of the windows at the dark street. "It hurts too much."

_Don't tell me it's not worth __tryin__' for_

_You can't tell me it's not worth __dyin__' for_

He turned to her again. He lifted his hands, as if surrendering, and said with a voice that made her tremble. "Scarlett…I love you."

Tears were running down her face, but she scarcely felt them. She was so shocked. This wasn't the Rhett she knew. And she didn't know that she believed him.

Rhett could tell she was having doubts. He laughed a short, quick laugh, but it was kind. "Why do you think I always came back? Why would I have done so many things for you? Why would I have been willing to do so many things for you?"

_You know it's true_

_Everything I do - I do it for you_

"Scarlett, I know it is hard to believe me, especially in the light of the many things that I have done and said to you, but you have to understand that I had to hide it from you. If you ever found out you would use it against me, and don't try to tell me you wouldn't." He looked at her as if he were a parent scolding a child. He sighed with defeat. "I guess…now…I don't care about the consequences anymore."

_Look into my heart - you will find_

_There's __nothin__' there to hide_

Frustration welled within him. "I don't even care that you are married and that I am telling you all of this with no other recourse but to walk out of this store in a few minutes and leave you here to go home to your…husband." He spoke the word with effort. "Oh Scarlett, how that cuts me! That I can't really have you, even if we had a chance." He looked at her, pain contorting his face and his eyes mirroring the reflection of the misery in soul. "But I can't live anymore without you knowing."

His face seemed to transform before her, and he spoke now with a passion and fervency that she had never heard in a man's voice before. "I want you to know, that all that I am belongs to you." He began walking slowly towards where she was seated. But he had stopped. Speaking softly he continued, " I would do anything in the world for you. Do you know that?"

_Take me as I am - take my life_

_I would give it all__ I would sacrifice_

Scarlett couldn't speak. She could no longer think that he was lying. How could a man speak with such devotion and never show a sign of deceit if his words were indeed true? How could she doubt the man before her that looked at her with burning eyes that gazed at her with longing and desire? Why had he not told her before now? She knew why. He had said she would use it against him. That she would have laughed at him. She remembered all too clearly the tricks that she had devised for when he declared his love for her. She had thought too often of the sweet revenge that she would take out on him when his lips uttered **the** words. She couldn't imagine doing that now, seeing the situation that she had put herself in with Ashley.

She could think of nothing to say. But, "Why now, Rhett?"

He looked a little shocked for a moment, and he suddenly laughed. It was quiet and short. However, she was now sure that it was Rhett who was making this declaration and not some mad stranger with unusual resemblance.

"Why not now Scarlett? Didn't I tell you why?" He had been smiling a gentle smile. "Isn't it worth it?" He voice was deep with warmeth that spread through her body to her toes in an unusual and bewildering way.

_Don't tell me it's not worth __fightin__' for_

_I can't help it there's __nothin__' I want more_

She continued to look at him. He smiled gently. "_You know it's true. Everything I do, _and have ever done-_I do it for y__ou."_

Scarlett thought of all the many times that Rhett had been there for her. Even when he had acted like he wasn't. Even when he acted as if she were the last reason on earth that he was where he was. Like just a few moments ago. He had walked into her store, without a word of warning and acted as if he had only come because he had nothing better to do. But truly, he was worried about her and whether or not she had gotten the money for the taxes. And she remembered the night that Atlanta burned. He hadn't left Atlanta and it had seemed so odd to her at the time. Now…it made perfect sense. He had stayed, just in case she needed help. And though he had left her alone there on the road to Rough and Ready, he had only done it when he had gotten her out of any immediate danger.

She remembered something else from that night on the road outside of the burning city. She remembered his slow, languid lips on hers. She remembered that he had made a declaration much like this one; and she remembered how she had felt like the world was spinning around her when his lips had touched hers. She remembered that he had asked her to give him a beautiful memory; she remembered when he had bent her backwards to kiss the soft flesh on her neck and she could almost feel his breath remembering when he had whispered against her skin, "Sweet".

_There's no love - like your love_

_And no other - could give more love_

"Scarlett…" Rhett broke her reverie. She looked at him again, a smile was still on his face. "I wanted to tell you all of this now because I wanted you to know that I will always be here for you." He laughed softly again. "There is nowhere else for me to be. When I don't have you…I'm…empty."

_There's nowhere - unless you're there_

_All the time - all the way_

"And if I had to pay the highest price, feel the worst pain, gain the most loss…I would do it all for you." He sat down next to her once more, and reached out to barely graze her cheek with his finger, her eyes still fixed on him. "Just to be near you."

_Don't tell me it's not worth __tryin__' for_

_I can't help it there's __nothin__' I want more_

_I would fight for you - I'd lie for you_

_Walk the wire for you - __Ya__ I'd die for you_

"Do you believe it Scarlett? Do you know I am telling the truth?" Rhett continued to run his finger up and down her cheek.

She spoke. "I do."

_Ya__ know it's true_

_Everything I do - I do it for you_

They sat there for a moment, Rhett stroking her cheek softly. Then he got up and started for the door, speaking as he walked, "I should be going." He retrieved his coat from a chair that he had carelessly tossed it over.

Scarlett was startled out of the state of shock she had been in when he got up to leave. And she finally had the bearings to move. She quickly lighted from her seat and ran towards Rhett. She grabbed his arm and he turned towards her staring into her eyes with wonder at her actions.

"Rhett," she said. "I…"

Rhett took her face in his hands and in an instant his lips were on hers. She could feel his hands quaking along with his body as she eased towards him, closer, closer, trying to use him as her support to keep her unstable legs from collapsing. When their lips finally parted he ran his fingers fervently over her parted lips and her still wet cheeks, until he bent to kiss the wetness away. His lips returned to hers for a moment and then he pulled away to looked at her, his breathing still uneven. He gave her an unsteady grin.

When she grinned back, his grin broke into an unfeigned smile.


End file.
